Educational device



Feb. 10, 1931. v E1 R. sMm-l 1,791,982

EDUCATIONAL DEVICE Filed Feb.' 4, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY Feb. 170, 1931. E R. SMH-H 1,791,982

EDUCATIONAL DEVICE Filed Feb. 4, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY if Feb. il ll vFluor:

:EDWARD R. SMITH, F NEW CSLTLE, PENNSYLVANIA EDUCATIONAL DEVICE Application medFebruary 4, 1922,874 Serial No. 251,784.

. Figure 1 is a front view of the device.

Fig. 2 is a view lof the rear of the device. Fig. 3 is a View of the rear of the device, the upper portion of the case being re- 135 movedto show the interior.v f

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the device, certain parts being shown as broken away to disclose the interior of the device, and other parts being indicated in dotted lines.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the device, the casing end being removed, and

Fig. 6 and Fig. 7 are fragmentary views of the operating disks.

This invention relates to educational devices and more particularly to a device adapted for use in the instruction of shorthand and'typewriting. o

The main object of this invention is the provision of an educational device which will intermittently and periodically expose suitable characters such as letters, combinations of letters, and figures to the eye of a student whereby t enable him to gain speed in either i typing the characters or in writing the same stenographically. i Y y Another important object of the resent invention is to provide 'a drive mec anism for the `educationaldevice thatincludes drive and driven discs, thedrive'ndisc having educational indicia on the ront face thereof and which indicia is adapted-to be displayed to view in such a manner whereby the character change is made substantially instantaneously and the exposed characteror indicia reof time.

Other objects and advantages o f this invenmains in view a relatively considerable length side wall 12. The front wall or cover is provided with'a sight opening 14 and shutters 16 and 18 are hingedly secured to the cover 8 by vertical pintle extending vertically and centrally of the o ening 14 as shown at 20 55 for the purpose o closing either half of the sight opening as desired. This arrangement of double shutters hinged to close different portions of the openingas desired, permits various combinations of indicia, hereinafter described, to be exposed. For convenience, the device is provided with a handle shown at 22.

` The rear wall is providedwith an opening which is normally closed .by a plate 24 pro- 65 vided with a knob' 26 for an obvious purpose.

The interior of the casing contains` the mechanism'now to be described, and as clearly shown in Fig. 5, a bracket 26 is bolted or otherwise secured to the base 2; the bracket 70 havin@` a bearing 28 at its upper end which rotatably supports a shaft 30 to the rear end of Awhich is secured a relatively large gear 32 which is in mesh with a pinion 34 rotatably secured or mounted upon a st ubv shaft 36 carried in a journal 38 secured to or formed with the bracket 26. The pinion is secured against displacement on the shaft by 'any suitable means such as a nut 40 or thelike and is in mesh with a small gear 42 driven by a suitable motor 44 secured to the base 2 by bolts 46 or the rlike. In the present instance an electric motor is shown asthe driving medium for the gearing 42, 34 and 32, 'but this is merely by way of example as obviously other driving means might be employed within the spirit v and scope of the invention, and it isv not to be understood that the present inventionlis limited or restricted to the use of-an electric motor. For example, aspring motor or conventional. type might be employed, if desired, but inasmuch as the particular construction of the driving means forms no specific part of the present invention the same is not shown in detail. l

The forward, end of the shaft 30 is reduced as at 48 to define a bearing shoulder 50 against which is positioned a circumferentially toothed disk 52, the teeth of which'are generally cam shaped as shown clearly in Fig. '100 the same being likewise circumferentially toothed. This disk I term the driven disk in contradistinction to the driving disk 52, and the same is loosely mounted on the reducedV end 48 of the shaft 30 so as to be capable of relative rotation therewith. The disk 58 is resiliently connected to the driving disk 52 by a coil spring 60 the ends of which are secured to the disks 52 and 58 as shown at 62 and 64 respectively. The teeth of disk 58 are similar to the teeth of disk 52, but, as can be clearly seen in Figs. 6 and 7, are pitched opposite to the'pitch of the teeth of disk 52 for a purpose to be presently described.

Secured to the base 2 on a support 66 is a spring retainer 68 the freeY end of which is bent upwardly to form a catch element 7 O which normally extends between adjacent teeth of disks 52 and 58. This arrangement is such as to retain the disk 58 against rotation until catchw element 7 0 is released from en agement therewith as now described.

`emovably secured to the disk 58 by means of small screws 71er other like attaching elements is a disk 72 which I term a lesson disk; the same being formed of paper, cardboard, or light sheet metal and provided with circumferentially arranged series of characters such as letters, igures or the like adjacent the marginal edge thereof whereby they may be exposed through the sight opening 14 heretofore mentioned. i

In practice a plurality of disks 7 2 are rovided, each having a different series of c aracters thereon, or the same characters arranged in different sequences, it being understood of course, that the disks 7 2 are interchangeable by removing the small screws or other attaching elements "(1. For retaining the disk 58 and its associated lesson disk 72 on the shaft 30, any suitablemeans may be employed, but in the instance shown, a nut 7 5 is provided which engages the reduced end of shaft 30.

In the operation of the device, when the motor is started the shaft 30 is rotated, thus rotating disk 52. The catch element is positioned between adjacent teeth of each of the disks 52 and 58, and retains the disk 58 against rotational `movement relative to the shaft 30, as will be apparent. The rota,- tion of disk 52 will cause the cam surfaces of the teeth of said disk 52 to successively engage the catch element 70 and depress the same to free it from its engagement with the teeth of disk 58 and the latter will be intermittently rotated; the catch element periodically and intermittently engaging the teeth of disk 58 successively to restrain the disk 58 againstrotation while so engaged. Periodic and intermittent rotation of the disk 58 will successively expose the characters on the lesson disk through ythe sight opening 14 as will be obvious.

l In addition to the before mentioned series of characters, an additional series of characters indicated at 88 may be used or applied to the lesson disks; this series 83 being of larger size than the before mentioned series and being especially adapted for beginners in the study of shorthand or typewriting. In order to expose these characters to view, an additional sight opening 84 may be provided or formed in the cover 8; similar to the vsight opening 14.

As is usual with motors generally, this invention contemplates the use of a governor for controlling the speed of the motor and consequently varying the speed o f rotation of disk 52 and the intermittent rotation of disk 58, but inasmuch as the specific construction of the governor forms no partof the present invention, the saine is not shown, it being understood that any conventional governor may be employed.

From the above description, it is believed that the invention will be fully apparent to those skilled in the art to which it appertains but I desire it understood that various changes in the form and proportions of the device may be made within the spirit of the invention without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In an educational device of the class described, a casing, a driving disc mounted therein, a driven disc therein, resilient connecting means between said discs whereby the driven disc is adapted for rotation upon: the rotation of the driving disc, educational indi-cia on said driven disc, said casing having an opening therein for the observation therethrough of the indicia on said driven' disc, means for actuating said driving disc, camlike teeth formed on the peripheral edges of said discs, theteeth of said discs being respectively pitched oppositely, yielding means engaging the teethv on said driven disc to restrain the rotation 'of the latter for a predetermined length of time, the teeth of the driving disc contacting with said yielding means at predetermined intervals for releasing the engagement thereof with the teeth of said driven disc to permit a predetermined rotational movement of the latter, whereby the character change is made substantially instantaneously and the exposed character remains in view a relatively considerable length of time. K

2. In a drive mechanism for an educational device of the class described, a rotatable shaft, a driving disc ixedly secured thereon, a driven disc loosely mounted on said shaft lli in slight spaced relation with respect to the driving disc, said driven disc being adapted to carry characters on the front face thereof, a coil spring encircling the shaft and interposed between said discs, one end of said spring being connect-ed to the driving disc, the other end being connected to the driven disc, said coil spring providing a resilient connection between thev discs whereby the driven disc Will be adapted for rotation upon the rotation of the driving disc, cam-like teeth formed on the peripheral edges of said discs, all of the teeth of one disc being pitched in one direction, all of the teeth of the other disc being pitched in the other direction, a spring pawl engaging the teeth on the driven disc to prevent rotation of the latter for a predetermined length of time, the teeth of the driving disc contacting with said pawl at predetermined intervals or releasing the engagement thereof with the teeth of the driven disc to permit a predetermined rotational movement of the latter whereby the character change is made substantially instantaneously and the exposed character remains in view a relatively considerable length of time.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

EDWARD R, SMITH. 

